86 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



least fifty years ago. And the milkmaid's mother sung an 

 answer to it, which was made by Sir Walter Raleigh, in his 

 younger days. 



They were old-fashioned poetry, but choicely good ; I think 

 much better than the strong lines that are now in fashion in this 

 critical age. Look yonder ! on my word yonder they both be 

 a-milking again. I will give her the Chub, and persuade them 

 to sing those two songs to us. 



God speed you, good woman ! I have been a-fishing ; and am 

 going to Bleak Hall * to my bed ; and having caught more fish 

 than will sup myself and my friend, I will bestow this upon you 

 and your daughter ; for I use to sell none. 



Milk-woman. Marry ! God requite you, sir, and we '11 eat it 

 cheerfully. And if you come this way a-fishing two months 

 hence, a grace of God ! I '11 give you a syllabub of new verjuice, 

 in a new made haycock, for it. And my maudlin shall sing you 

 one of her best ballads ; for she and I both love all anglers, 

 they be such honest, civil, quiet men. In the meantime will 

 you drink a draught of red cow's milk ? you shall have it freely. 



Piscator. No, I thank you ; but, I pray, do us a courtesy that 

 shall stand you and your daughter in nothing, and yet we will 

 think ourselves still something in your debt : it is but to sing 

 us a song that was sung by your daughter when I last passed 

 over this meadow, about eight or nine days since. 



Milk-woman, What song was it, I pray ? Was it Come 

 Shepherds, deck your herds ? or, As at noon Dulcinia rested ? 

 or, Phillida flouts me ? or, Chevy Chase ? or, Johnny Arm- 

 strong ? or, Troy Townl\ 



Piscator. No, it is none of those ; it is a song that your 

 daughter sung the first part, and you sung the answer to it. 



Milk-woman. Oh, I know it now. I learned the first part in 

 my golden age, when I was about the age of my poor daughter ; 

 and the latter part, which indeed fits me best now, but two or 

 three years ago, when the cares of the world began to take hold 

 of me : but you shall, God willing, hear them both ; and sung 

 as well as we can, for we both love anglers. Come, Maudlin, 

 sing the first part to the gentlemen, with a merry heart ; and 

 I'll sing the second when you have done. 



of divers atheistical and blasphemous discourses ; and that in a quarrel 

 with a serving 1 man, his rival in a connection with a lewd woman, he 

 received a stab with a dagger, and shortly after died of the stroke. WOOD 

 Athen. Oxon. vol. i. 338, and BEARD'S Theatre ofGod't Judgments. 



* The author seems here to have forgot himself: for. page 72, he says 

 he is to lodge at Trout Hall. 



t See the songs, As at Noon, Chevy Chase, Johnny Armstrong, and Troy 

 Town, printed after the most authentic copies, in Percy's Reliques of An- 

 cient English Poetry. Phillida flouts me, is to be found in Whittingham's 

 edition of Elegant Extractt in Verse, vol. v. p. 239. 



